after reading all the posts regarding the future of the tt and manx its time i put my two penneth in!
the first time i saw a race on the island was 1982 and i was stood at the bottom of bray hill all bored as a normal ten year old would be! then my life took a different path coz several seconds later some nutter came down that hill flat out ( no 1 newcomer take a bow!) i didnt say a word for hours as i was in total awe at what i had just seen. i did say to myself, "one day, ill do that!" and i havnt missed a year since, as supporter, mechanic and as the best day ever, as a rider. i didnt win but who cares, id done what i said i would.
maybe there was another ten year old stood there this year saying the same thing,
i look forward to that day.

i think "the day" you speak of probably happens every day, if not every race day, at the isle of man.

My first visit was in 1947-----

I STILL love it................

My first vision of the TT was Bray Hill also. What a thrilling introduction. I simply could not believe what I was seeing and after listening to all the TT riders of the 50's returning to OZ and relating their stories to my family I suddenly saw the whole amazing picture in real life. Magic. And as someone said in an earlier posting, watching all riders, not only the big names, is just as exciting.

Yeah I said something like that when I saw my first TT in 1968--well, the first one I can remember. And I did. And now I CAN'T give it up!!!!

For the fans, this is what the TT is all about. Not people moaning cos the lap record hasn't been broken again; or wingeing because there's arm wrestling on at Bushy's.

It's funny that but the first bit of TT action I ever saw was at the bottom of Bray Hill in 1986, it was the Monday evening practice, I didn't know much about TT riders in those days, in fact it was only a couple of months earlier that I even knew the TT was real and not just something I'd seen on telly at my Grandmas(No Limit).
Don't ask me who was the first rider or what he was riding, the only answer I can give was he was VERY blurred,VERY loud and frightened the living daylights out of me. It was only after that session had finished and I'd gone to the pub (just 8 then), that I thought to myself, I'm gonna do that one day ;-)and in 1993 I did, sort of.
Cheers
Russ

Russ Henley 8 years old in 1986 ? Yeah, right !! Have you been taking lessons at the Maria Costello school of age reduction ?!

Well I have had a few tips :-)
It should have read 18 but I was in a rush and didn't have time to preview it, I've already had a text message from someone pointing out that 8 was a distant memory, mind you 18 isn't exactly like yesterday!! :-(
Russ

Tut Tut boys, when you get to my age, what's 10 years? You both look years younger than you are anyway,...must be the preservative powers of Castrol R!

I was gonna say that too David... think I might have lost my No.1 team member and mate if I had though!! Sorry Russ ;-)

I could grow to like you Helen with your kind, yet obviously true comments ;-).
As for Carolynn I might just forgive her for her text message, if she's lucky ;-)